Main Resolution of the Communist Party of Britain 54th Congress, 19-20 November 2016

Bring down the Tory government!

Defeat the ruling class offensive!

Build the labour movement and its Communist Party!

Communist parties across the world play a unique role in demonstrating that capitalism, because of its commitment to marketisation and profit, cannot provide lasting reforms and that a socialist alternative is the only solution to capitalist crisis. The Communist Party can play this unique role in Britain and its programme Britain’s Road to Socialism is a key tool in support of this. It is the role of the Communist Party to give the working class and its allies a vision of an alternative society, a socialist society, by taking into account ourown country’s history and conditions.

The Communist Party and its programme provide a Marxist analysis of the crisis of capitalism and the role of imperialism in the world. We point out the urgent need to lift people out of poverty, to protect hard won gains made over the last 70 years and to protect our planet’s ecosystem.

'The most powerful big business circles in the USA are determined to promote their interests aggressively against China, Russia and the European Union', Communist Party chair Liz Payne told the party's Political Committee on Wednesday evening (February 15).

But at the same time, she pointed out that the conflicts within the country's state apparatus reflected differences of tactics and strategy within the US ruling class.

"Communist parties across the world play a unique role in demonstrating that capitalism, because of its commitment to marketisation and profit, cannot provide lasting reforms and that a socialist alternative is the only solution to capitalist crisis. The Communist Party can play this unique role in Britain and its programme Britain's Road to Socialism is a key tool in support of this. It is the role of the Communist Party to give the working class and its allies a vision of an alternative society, a socialist society, by taking into account our own country's history and conditions."

The full report of the Main Resolution of the Communist Party of Britain's 54th Congress, 19-20 November 2016 is now available on issuu.

Jeremy Corbyn's speech in Peterborough earlier this week offers a united way forward for the labour movement on Britain's exit from the EU, according to the Communist Party.

CP general secretary Robert Griffiths said that his 'incisive and important' remarks should not be forgotten in a 'mediafog of misreporting and distortion'. While most news coverage concentrated on the Labour Party leader's comments about a maximum salary cap, the Peterborough speech set out how, in Mr Corbyn's words, 'Labour will build a better Britain out of Brexit'.

The left and labour movement in Britain are urgently in need of a return to 'class politics', according to Communist Party general secretary Robert Griffiths.

He told the party's political committee on Wednesday evening that subjective and impressionistic views were in danger of misleading socialists and trade unionists to the benefit of big business and the far right. In particular, he cited the warm response given in some quarters to a recent address delivered by Bank of England governor Mark Carney and the support of trade unions and Labour MPs to Britain's continued membership of the Single European Market.

The Tory attack on low paid workers, benefit claimants and people with disabilities will continue for years to come unless we get rid of this government.

Most of the cuts planned by ex-Chancellor Osborne are going ahead as planned through freezing in-work benefits, rolling out Universal Credit and slashing disability payments. At the same time there are yet more tax cuts for business and extra public subsidies for capitalist free markets in housing, transport and technical innovation that have failed so miserably up to now. Instead of pumping £8bn more into the private housing sector and accelerating the forced sell-off of Housing Association properties, that money could build 140,000 new homes - almost four times more than Chancellor Hammond unveiled today.

The 54th Congress of the Communist Party of Britain took place successfully last weekend, November 19-20. More than 100 full and consultative delegates and visitors participated in extensive debates and discussions.

The main resolution 'Block the Ruling Class Offensive and Win a Left-led Government' set out the party's analysis of the current national and international situation and its campaigning priorities for the coming period. A special session considered how to take forward the process of 'communist renewal', which seeks to enhance the party's recruitment, activitism, membership retention and political education.

Given the choice in the US presidential election between a neoliberal, banker-oriented, imperialist warmonger or Trump’s demagogic promises to regenerate industry, create jobs, end crime and 'drain the swamp' of corruption, nobody should be too surprised at the result, Bill Greenshields told the Communist Party of Britain's political committee on Wednesday evening (November 9).

The democratic principle at stake in the European Union struggle is not parliamentary sovereignty but the sovereignty of the people, Communist Party general secretary Robert Griffiths told the party's executive committee at the weekend.

He was responding to last week's ruling by the High Court that the British government must consult MPs and peers before triggering negotiations to leave the EU.